Run Away: A 'What If' Story
by bionic4ever
Summary: What if, when Jaime first woke up in the hospital, suffering from amnesia, she had run from the hospital in a panic, and disappeared?
1. Chapter 1

**RUN AWAY**

Chapter One

_"What the **hell** do you mean 'she's gone'?" _Oscar thundered into the phone. "How do you lose a comatose patient?"

Rudy could've held the receiver a foot from his ear and still heard every word, but he knew he had this coming to him. "I'm sorry, Oscar – she obviously woke up during the night. Security searched the building and the grounds; Jaime isn't here. We don't know if she walked out on her own or...not."

"Did you pull the Security tape?" Oscar demanded.

"They're looking at it now," Rudy said meekly. "Do you want me to call Steve?"

"_Steve doesn't even know she's alive!"_ Oscar took a deep puff from his cigar, blew it out, and found it didn't help. "Rudy, I'm on my way." Oscar hung up, but before he could leave, he had two more tasks to complete. He arranged for an immediate air transport to Los Angeles, then had Callahan place a call to Steve, asking him to head for Rudy's complex. Oscar wasn't quite ready to talk to Steve himself, yet. He hoped that by the time his plane landed in California, he'd figure out what to say, how to tell Steve that his fiancée, whose death he'd been mourning for over a month, was really alive. Alive...and missing.

- - - - - -

She was lost, confused and completely alone. She wanted more than anything to just go home, but...where was home? She wasn't even sure what her name was, but 'Jennie' sounded ok, so in her mind, she was Jennie. She'd been wandering aimlessly for most of the day, and now it was starting to get dark. She was hungry and growing more frightened by the hour, and she sat down beside a small stream, to try and figure out what she should do next. She was so very, very tired, and within minutes she was fast asleep.

- - - - - -

Steve was stunned beyond words. Oscar and Rudy had very gently explained to him how Michael had used an experimental technique to revive Jaime, essentially retrieving her from death. They told him how Jaime had spent weeks in a coma, in extremely critical condition, and that they'd made the difficult decision not to tell Steve until they were certain she'd survive. They'd had only the best of intentions, trying to spare Steve the pain of losing her to death a second time.

Steve remained completely quiet as they gave him the details. His mouth opened and closed wordlessly as his face paled and blanched to grayish-white. When they'd told him everything that had led up to that morning, Rudy and Oscar fell silent, letting the enormity of all they'd said sink in before telling him why he'd been called to the hospital. Steve's eyes brimmed with tears that he made no attempt to hide.

"Jaime...is..._alive?"_ he whispered.

"Yes," Rudy said softly.

"Is she here? Can...can I see her now?"

Oscar pulled his chair closer to Steve's and placed a hand on his friend's arm. "Pal, we don't know where she is."

"_What_?"

"In the last few days, Jaime's condition was finally beginning to stabilize," Rudy explained. "She apparently woke up in the middle of the night, because this morning, Jaime was gone. The Security tape indicates that she left on her own; we don't believe she was forced or kidnapped."

"I've got multiple teams spread throughout the area -" Oscar added.

"What kind of shape is she in?" Steve asked, his emotions barely under control. "All that time in a coma..."

Rudy lowered his head for a moment before speaking again; it was time to tell him the worst case scenario. "Steve, before Michael brought her back, Jaime's brain was without oxygen for a considerable length of time. It's possible she wasn't affected, but -"

"What, Rudy?" Steve asked, dreading the answer.

"The damage could be catastrophic."

"Meaning?"

"She may have suffered severe cognitive impairment, psychosis, total amnesia, or any combination of all three."

"And...she's out there somewhere...alone." Steve said, barely able to speak.

"We can't know the extent of these symptoms – or if she's been affected at all – without having her here for assessment."

"You said you've got a Security tape?" Steve asked, snapping himself into action mode, knowing Jaime needed him. "Can I see it?"

Rudy nodded, moved to the monitor and turned on the tape. When Jaime first appeared on the screen, Steve was nearly overcome with emotion. Rudy paused the tape until he was ready to continue. The images were brief, but Steve studied them intently.

"She's walking on her own power," Rudy narrated, "so I don't believe her physical abilities or her bionics were damaged -"

"She looks pretty shaky, though," Steve pointed out. "Does she know she's bionic?"

"She may not even know what 'bionic' is," Oscar said grimly.

"She didn't go straight for the exit," Steve noted. "She looks...lost." He leaned closer to the screen. "Something's wrong; look at her eyes. She's scared to death." He forced back his own growing sense of fear, knowing he had to concentrate – he had to help Jaime. "She didn't just wake up, decide she didn't wanna be here and walk out. She's terrified...Jaime **_ran away._**"

- - - - - -

'Jennie' woke with a start as she rolled over in her sleep, into the cold water of the stream. Her stomach grumbled its emptiness, and she forced herself to her feet and looked around. Was that an apple tree? She started eagerly toward it, but her legs began to wobble, her head spun crazily and she hit the ground with a quiet _thud_.

- - - - - -


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

When 'Jennie' sat up and re-opened her eyes, it was early the next morning. She squealed with delight to discover she'd fallen directly under the apple tree. She reached up, on her tiptoes, and could barely grasp a few of the lower leaves between her fingertips. Undeterred (she was too hungry to just walk away), she stretched as high as she could, grabbed the tiny twig and shook it. To her amazement, the whole main branch came crashing down, barely missing her head. Now she was surrounded by apples, and she joyfully chose a few of the best ones and sat down on the fallen branch to savor her treasure.

- - - - - -

Steve began his own search as soon as the tape had ended. He had to hope for the best while assuming the worst. If Jaime _was _somehow mentally impaired, if she was running solely on instinct and was terribly frightened, where would she go to feel safe? The answer, for him, was glaringly obvious. _Water_. Ever since she'd been a very little girl, Jaime had gravitated toward water when she was upset, angry or needed comfort. It seemed to soothe her spirit, and Steve immediately knew where to start. The river that flowed behind the hospital exited the grounds on two opposite sides: one end opened into a small lake, and the other narrowed into a tiny stream. Steve picked a side at random, and headed toward the lake.

His eye zeroed in on every detail – searching for broken twigs, impressions in the dirt or grass, or any indication that a scared and confused young woman had been there. He circled the entire lake but found nothing; no traces, no clues. The sun was just beginning to poke its way above the horizon when, discouraged but nowhere near ready to give up, Steve turned around and headed back toward the hospital. He walked along the back fence, to where the river ran off of the grounds on the other side, and began focusing on the banks of the stream.

He was about three miles from Rudy's complex when he spotted the first clue: an impression in the ground, very near the water, that was fresh and exactly Jaime-sized. _This must've been the first place she stopped, _Steve told himself. It was a full-body imprint, so she'd probably fallen asleep, at least for a little while. He ran his hand along the impression, feeling somehow closer to the woman he loved so deeply, and, until a few hours ago, had believed he'd lost forever. She was still very nearby; he could _sense _her...

-

'Jennie' had just finished her second apple and was squirreling a few more away for later enjoyment, in the tall grass near the apple tree. She puzzled over the fact that she seemed to be hearing hundreds of sounds from every direction, all at once. She could barely isolate any single sound and had trouble making sense of it all. Her body stiffened, in full-alert mode, when one sound rose above the rest: _**footsteps**!_ Had the people from _that place _found her already? Were they going to force her to go back? Her mind screamed a single word, loud and insistently: **_NO_**! She'd escaped before they could hurt her or run their weird experiments, and she was _not _going back!

-

Steve spotted Jaime's bright, gold-toned hair first, gleaming brilliantly in the early morning sunshine, and his soul did cartwheels of joy. Happiness and relief were replaced with heartbreaking sorrow when he got his first full glimpse of her. She'd heard his approach, and was cowering like a beaten, trapped animal. Her face was frozen in terror and her eyes were wild as they darted back and forth, frantically searching for a way to escape. When her gaze met his for one brief millisecond, he saw no recognition there, only fear. He moved slowly and quietly, his hands in full view, hoping she'd realize he meant her no harm...

-

'Jennie' watched warily as the strange man came closer. Her heart was pounding so hard and fast that it _hurt_, and she felt dizzy with confusion. His face seemed so kind and harmless, but she knew he was one of _them_ – he had to be, if he'd followed her – and she needed to get away. Instinct and self-preservation took over, and she picked up the big branch she'd torn from the tree and began swinging it at him. The man ducked (damn, he was fast!) but kept slowly moving toward her. He was getting way too close, and 'Jennie' raised the branch high over her shoulder and, with shaky aim and whatever strength she had, brought it down squarely upon the top of his head. He was completely still for a moment and then crumpled to the ground, but 'Jennie' never saw him fall. Behind her, an arm had come out of nowhere and wrapped tightly around her waist, roughly jerking her backward, off of her feet. Several pairs of hands grabbed her, carrying her toward a car that was parked just outside the trees. She was able to let out one ear-piercing, blood-curdling scream before pain and weakness forced her into oblivion.

- - - - - -


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Jaime's scream instantly brought Steve back to full consciousness, but it was too late. He could hear the car's tires screeching as it pulled away, but the trees were too thick for him to see where it was headed. When he emerged on the other side, out in the open, Jaime and her captors were gone. He pulled the datacom from his belt, alerted the search teams to Jaime's last known location and the fact that she'd been taken away in an unknown vehicle. Rudy and Oscar were listening, as well, and upon hearing that he was hurt, Rudy instructed him to stay where he was; they were on their way to get him.

"But – I have to find Jaime!" he insisted.

The radio crackled back to life with Oscar's stern voice on the other end. "Steve, _don't move_. That's an order."

Orders meant little, when Jaime's well-being was on the line, but in this case Steve knew Oscar and Rudy were right. They found him within minutes, and the three men returned to the hospital where Rudy would take a look at Steve's head before they planned their next move.

"She obviously doesn't have all of her strength back," Rudy noted, peering at the small, discolored bump and laceration on the top of Steve's forehead, "or she'd have cracked your skull wide open."

"She didn't know what she was doing," Steve told them, wincing slightly as Rudy cleansed the wound. "She didn't even know who I was."

"Amnesia," Rudy concluded, shaking his head. "There was no recognition at all, Steve?"

"None. I've known Jaime almost her whole life, and she'd never have taken a swing at me – **ever**. I looked straight into her eyes," Steve said, "and I can't explain it, but she...she just wasn't there."

"Sounds like severe cognitive impairment, as well," Rudy summarized, sitting back in his chair as he finished tending to his new patient.

Steve shook his head in disagreement. "I don't think so. She was thinking the whole time; I could _see_ her mind working. She felt trapped, and she panicked and lashed out, on gut instinct, I guess. I'm not sure, but I think she was so focused on keeping me away that she never even noticed someone coming up behind her."

"Did you see anyone?" Oscar asked.

"Not really. I saw a person – I'm sure it was a man, not a woman – just as the branch knocked me down. I can still hear her scream, though. It was more than pain, beyond fear or panic. It was like...they were **_killing _**her."

- - - - - -

'Jennie' woke up slowly, and was once again baffled and terrified by her surroundings. The air in the darkened room was damp and a bit chilly, with a musty smell that made her queasy. She could move her head, but that was about all. Gradually, she found that she'd been tied to chair, up against a wooden support beam. Her arms were bound securely behind the chair, around the pole, and a second length of rope around her waist completely immobilized her and had been tied so tightly that it hurt her to take a deep breath. Her feet were also tied together and fastened to the bottom rung of the chair. She struggled briefly, but realized it was futile and sank back in defeat. Time – somewhere between an hour and eternity – passed, and she suddenly heard voices a short distance away.

"All that time we spent tracking Austin, and you bring me a _woman_?"

"You should see what she did! The huge chunk of wood she picked up, well, you'd swear she's bionic, too."

"Idiot! If she was bionic, don't you think she'd have fought you off? Or at least, tried to?"

"Maybe we could use her as bait. It looked like Austin knew her, like they were connected somehow."

"If she knows Austin, maybe she's got things floating around in her head that could be useful."

'Jennie' heard several sets of footsteps coming closer, and a door opened somewhere behind her. She closed her eyes, afraid to see whatever (or whoever) was coming next. A man walked up to stand in front of her, so close she could smell his aftershave. His laughter as he looked at her (she could _feel _him looking at her) chilled her to the core.

"Well, I'll be damned," the man said, his voice glinting with malice. "Hello, _Jaime_."

'Jennie' knew he was talking to her, but _Jaime _was a boy's name, wasn't it? When she didn't open her eyes, the man cupped her chin in his hand and slowly tightened his grip until it was painful. 'Jennie' looked up at him silently, frightened but also angry.

"That's better," he told her. He turned to his two accomplices – the man who had brought her here in the car – but kept a firm hold on her face. "Don't you know who this is?" he asked them. "She's Jaime Sommers, Austin's fiancée, and from what I saw her do at Rona's place, she's everything he is. _And _she cracks safes."

"Lot easier on the eyes than Austin," one of the men added. "So we did good, after all, huh?"

"Accidentally, but yeah." He turned back to 'Jennie', finally releasing his hand from her chin. "What's wrong, Honey; nothing to say for yourself?"

'Jennie' had no idea who he was or what he wanted, but she knew she didn't like him. He leaned in closer, mocking her, and without stopping to think about it she showed her contempt by spitting in his face. Shocked and extremely angry, he drew back and slapped her hard enough to slam her head against the support beam.

"That was a mistake," he told her. He headed for the door, turning around as he reached it. "Work her over," he told his men.

"A woman?" one of them protested reluctantly.

"She has plenty of useful tidbits in that pretty head, and she'll be sharing every one of them with us, if she wants to keep breathing!"

- - - - - -


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Steve and Oscar were very lucky, and they knew it. They'd been handed another security tape that was nothing short of a small miracle. Wherever her captors might have taken Jaime, the route led straight past the front of the hospital, and their car had been captured on video, half of the license plate visible as they roared away.

"A partial plate's better than nothing," Oscar said urgently. "I'll call it in." While he was on the phone, Steve uttered a silent prayer, pleading with God and the fates to keep her safe long enough for them to find her.

Oscar was back in minutes. "Plate comes back to a 'Jerome Silva', he told Steve. "Used to be one of Joseph Rona's men, believed to be the one who shot him by accident when they were trying to get you and Jaime."

Steve cringed inwardly. He had worked only one mission with Jaime before her body rejected her bionics, before her 'death', and they'd been lucky to escape with their lives after her hand had malfunctioned and set off an alarm, exposing them. They'd managed to escape through a second-story window, and Rona and several of his men followed close behind them, shooting bullets from every direction. Silva hadn't seen Rona crouching in the bushes in front of him, and he spotted Steve and Jaime very nearby. It should've been a clean shot, and he probably would've hit at least one of them, but Rona had stood up at exactly the wrong instant. The bullet intended for them hit Rona instead, at fairly close range, killing him instantly. His men had gotten away, and had apparently never forgotten who'd caused the death of their boss and mentor. Jaime was in very serious trouble.

"If he worked for Rona," Steve concluded, "then he knows Jaime's bionic. Do we have an address?"

"Home address is in Virginia, but Rona had an old, abandoned storefront that he used as a sort of base of operations. It's less than ten miles from here."

Steve was on his feet and already halfway out the door. Both men checked the guns in their waistbands as they ran for Steve's car.

- - - - - -

Silva's men had quickly overcome their reluctance and were well into the task at hand. Slapping her face had accomplished nothing, so they'd removed Jaime's bonds and were now tossing her roughly around the room and into the walls. Open hands had become fists, and they were landing blow after cruel blow. Silva had told them the sort of information they were to get from her, but things had escalated and she was still telling them nothing. They didn't realize her mind no longer contained the knowledge they were seeking.

Some small part of Jaime's instincts remained with her, though, and she refused to give in to tears or to plead for mercy. She sat on the floor, glaring at them, as they came at her again. She had no idea what they were talking about or what they could possibly want from her.

"Where does Rudy Wells keep your files?" One of them demanded.

"I don't know who that is. What files?"

"Jerry, she's good!" one of the men told their boss, who had reappeared in the doorway. "But we'll crack her." He raised a booted foot and connected it solidly with her stomach. She doubled over, the wind knocked out of her, but instantly sat back up, facing him defiantly.

"Where are they?" her interrogator persisted. "L.A.? Colorado? D.C.?"

_"I. Don't. Know_." she told him with more strength in her voice than she actually felt.

The man grabbed her by the throat, yanking her to her feet. He drew back his fist to hit her again, but Silva stepped closer. "Wait," he ordered. "That's obviously not doing any good. Put her back in the chair and hook her to our little machine over there."

The flunky hesitated. "Are you sure? I mean, after what happened to the last one we used it on..."

"This is different," Silva responded. "If she dies, we can sell her for parts."

"But -"

"Just do it."

- - - - - -

Steve was filled with self-recrimination and regret as he and Oscar sped toward their destination. He wished he would've just dove toward Jaime and grabbed her. Would've scared the hell out of her, but she would've been safe. She definitely wasn't safe now. Would they see her confusion as blatant defiance and hurt her...or worse? Steve pressed his foot even harder on the accelerator, and prayed.

- - - - - -


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

'Jennie' didn't know what the machine with all the wires coming out of it was, but when they began attaching the wires to her body, she was fairly sure it wasn't a good sign. She strained against that ropes that once again held her in the chair, but the little bit of strength she'd had was gone. Her limbs were shaking, her head felt strange and her entire body _hurt._

The man the others called Jerry bent down so close to her face that she could feel his breath. "Last chance, Honey," he sneered. "Believe me, it'd be in your best interests to cooperate. Start talking."

"About what?" she asked with genuine innocence.

"Zap her," Silva said coldly.

"Jerry…"

"Dammit! Then give _me_ the button!" The accomplice stepped aside, allowing Silva access to the machine's switches and dials. He turned the dial about halfway and hit the main switch. 'Jennie' jerked stiffly as the electric current blazed through her body. The world went white and fuzzy, and it was hard to breathe. Slowly, things returned to normal, with 'Jennie' remaining silent (she truly had nothing to tell them) and still stubbornly refusing to cry.

""Gotta hand it to you," Silva conceded. "You are good. The OSI must've added shock to its resistance training." 'Jennie' continued to stare at him blankly. Silva turned the dial a little further and grinned at her. "Still got nothing to say, huh? Fine." He hit the switch again, and her body jerked so hard that it strained the ropes that held her in place. She was trembling now, at near seizure-like intensity, but the tears in her eyes were an involuntary nervous system reaction, and she did not allow them to fall. She refused him the satisfaction of making her cry.

"You're tougher than you look," Silva told her, "but I can keep this up a whole lot longer than you can. Now...let's try a different direction. What's your Pentagon security code?"

"My...what?"

"You might think you're being noble, but all you're really being right now is stupid - and suicidal. Do you _want_ to die?"

'Jennie' was barely conscious now, and couldn't have answered him even if she'd wanted to, which she didn't. The next jolt, at the machine's strongest setting, was somewhat of a blessing, since it took her away from the pain, terror and confusion, flinging her out of her present circumstances and into the realm of oblivion.

- - - - - -

Steve's car screeched to an abrupt halt, around the block from their destination and with half a dozen cars full of OSI operatives following right behind him. Oscar and Steve stood in front of the sea of faces, outlining their plan.

"I'm going to try getting in there alone, first," Steve told them. "If we storm the place like a small army, there will probably be gunfire, with Jaime right in the middle of it. That has to be our last resort. I'll assess the situation, then grab her and bring her out, if I can. If that's not possible, we'll have to take our chances with a raid." He turned on his datacom and placed it back onto his belt. Oscar would now be able to hear instantly if he ran into trouble, and could send in the troops. With his heart in his throat and a silent prayer for Jaime's safety uppermost in his mind, Steve headed for the back door of the storefront.

- - - - - -

There was one more miracle waiting in the wings, and it was a big one. The woman in the chair was gradually returning to consciousness, and when she was able to think once again, 'Jennie' was gone. **_Jaime_** had no idea where she was or how she'd come to be there. The last thing she remembered was running away from the hospital, in the pouring rain, and then collapsing into Steve's arms. She knew Steve wouldn't have brought her _here_, to this ugly place, but she sensed - correctly - that any explanation would have to come later. She raised her head and instantly recognized the man standing in front of her. She didn't know his name, but not too long ago, he'd tried to kill her - and Steve. Was Steve here? She couldn't move, and the pain she felt was almost unbearable. She sat quietly, hoping that as she became more fully alert, she'd gain enough strength to break the ropes that held her.

"What's your Pentagon security code?" her captor demanded.

"I'm not telling you a damn thing!" Jaime informed him.

"Ah...progress. You're finally admitting you have one?"

"Of course I do - but I'm certainly not giving it to you."

"You must be into pain," Silva snarled. "That's fine. We'll play it your way." He reached for the switch again, and at the same instant, the door flew off of its hinges and landed in pieces, strewn all over the room. Startled, Silva froze, assessing the intruder. "Austin," he said, in lieu of a more cordial greeting.

"Step away from her, Silva," Steve ordered. "Now, or I swear to God I'll kill you."

"You're hardly in a position to be calling the shots, Colonel - unless you'd like to watch this little lady die." He reached for the switch. "_You _step back - all the way out the door."

Steve looked at Jaime, trying to instantly assess her condition and her mindset. She was badly bruised and seemed only semi-conscious, but her eyes renewed his hope, as he saw in them something that had been missing that morning: _recognition._ He leapt into action, unsure if Jaime could be of any help, but fully prepared to fight this battle alone, if necessary. He flew at Silva with a high kick aimed directly at his chest. Silva nearly collided with Jaime's chair in his flight toward the far wall, which he slammed into, sliding slowly to the floor.

Steve moved immediately to Jaime's side, breaking the ropes with one very determined bionic finger. He began to lift her, to carry her from the building, but Jaime shook her head. "I can walk - I think."

Steve helped her carefully to her feet, then allowed her a few moments to get her bearings as he used some of the ropes that had held her to bind Silva. "Let's go," he told Jaime, placing a gentle hand on her arm.

"Steve - look out!" She shouted, gathering strength from somewhere when she needed it to protect him. Silva's flunkies, who had left the room, unable to watch him electrocute an innocent woman, had heard the ruckus and returned, guns drawn. They were approaching from behind Steve's back, ready and willing to shoot, especially when they saw their boss down on the ground. Jaime reacted instantly, picking up the chair and heaving it through the air, over Steve's head and into the first of the two men, tossing his body into his cohort's, toppling both of them to the floor. Working simultaneously, as a team once again, Jaime and Steve each took one henchman and used the remaining pieces of rope to tie them - together - to the wooden beam.

When they'd accomplished their task and were finally safe, Jaime looked up at Steve, their eyes locking into each other's gaze and staying there. She gave him a weak smile as the last of the adrenaline that had kept her going finally ran out. Steve caught her just as her legs turned to jelly, lifting her into his arms to take her out of the building and back to safety.

"I gotcha," he told her as her eyelids fluttered. "I gotcha."

- - - - - -


	6. Epilogue

Epilogue

One month later, her injuries and her psyche almost fully healed, Jaime left the hospital on Steve's arm. They weren't exactly where they'd been before Jaime's 'death', but they were comfortable and easy together, with a warm relationship that had already begun to evolve into something even deeper than they'd had before. Rudy would never know for certain, but he theorized that the electric shock had rewired and reconnected the damaged nerves in Jaime's brain. Things could've ended tragically, but thanks to determination, love and teamwork (and a touch of stubbornness), Jaime was well on her way to a full recovery.

Steve drove out of Los Angeles and headed for the little park on the outskirts of Ojai. They walked arm-in-arm to 'their' tree, where they sat quietly, thoroughly absorbed in simply being together.

"Oscar said Silva and the others will never be out in the daylight again," Jaime said, sighing contentedly as she nestled closer against Steve's chest. His arms fully enveloped her, holding her gently as he comtemplated the meaning of the second chance they'd somehow been granted.

"If it were up to me," he finally responded, "they wouldn't be allowed to keep on breathing our air, after what they did to you."

Jaime tilted her head up and kissed him, smiling into his deep, blue eyes. "Which is exactly why it isn't up to you." She kissed him again, deeper and longer, and they stayed there, enjoying the sunset and each other, knowing the sun was rising once again for their relationship. There was nothing in the universe that could ever part the couple that even death couldn't separate.

END


End file.
